With the events of recent weeks – the May 20 Constitutional Court decision to undo the guilty verdict in the Rios Montt trial and the new trial court’s expressed unavailability until April 2014 – it seems that continued legal proceedings against Rios Montt in the Ixil genocide trial will be in the best of scenarios on hold. However, there have been further developments in connection with another set of charges against former Guatemalan de facto president Efraín Rios Montt.

Yesterday, June 24, Judge Carol Patricia Flores ruled on a request for her disqualification as a pre-trial judge in the case of the massacre at Dos Erres. The civil party FAMDEGUA (Association of the Families of the Disappeared of Guatemala) sought her recusal on the ground of bias. She ruled that she was competent to continue overseeing the pre-trial stages of the case.

In the Dos Erres case, Rios Montt is charged in connection with the December 1982 killing of 201 people. At the time of the massacre, the population of the Dos Erres community was approximately 700 people. The victims were farmers and settlers who had migrated to the area, mostly from eastern Guatemala, within the twenty years prior to the massacre. The prosecution charges that the Rios Montt government ordered the massacre of the villagers, the destruction of property and the displacement of survivors because the military accused them of collaborating with guerrilla factions.

Guatemalan courts have already convicted various low-level soldiers and paramilitary members in connection with the massacre, but this is the first case charging those believed to be senior commanders, those believed to be the intellectual authors. Others previously convicted in connection with the Dos Erres massacre were charged with – and convicted of – murder and crimes against humanity. Rios Montt also faced similar charges. However, at an earlier pre-trial hearing, Judge Flores modified the charges to genocide. This is part of the basis for the efforts to seek her disqualification. The prosecution and civil party never alleged that the Dos Erres massacre constituted a genocide.

In another matter, expected to be decided today, June 25, the prosecution requested, on June 17, that Judge Flores also be recused from considering pre-trial matters in connection with any charges against Mario Lopez Fuentes, also on the ground of bias. Lopez Fuentes, head of the Estado Mayor de Defensa under Rios Montt, had also earlier been charged in the Ixil genocide case though, for reasons of health, had not been prosecuted alongside Rios Montt and Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez, his then head of military intelligence. During the Ixil genocide trial before Judge Yassmin Barrios’ court, Judge Flores attempted to annul the process, near and then after its endpoint, and send the case back to a period before Rios Montt or his co-accused had even been indicted. The Constitutional Court, during the trial, rejected Judge Flores’ efforts to annul the trial.

Also, in connection with the Rios Montt genocide trial, a group of more than 30 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sent a letter last week to Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina expressing concern about developments in connection with the Rios Montt genocide trial. The letter urged the continuation of the trial with full respect for fair trial standards. The letter lauded the “important and commendable efforts to deal with the past.”

Alejandra Otero-Ruiz contributed to the research and writing of this blog.

Following the life of Efrain Rios Montt now for over 30 years, I am very glad about the decision of the Constitutional Court and have all through these years seen unjust accusations, especially from Amnesty International. In following this trial it has become evident to me that much of what the defense has clearly presented has been purposefully resisted or negated. The Constitutional Court is certainly interested in justice and did not make this decision as a result of corruption.

I would like to help be a witness against Jose Montt as I knew him when I was in the ministry of the Lighthouse Ranch of Gosple Outreach in lolita california. The CIA had infiltrated our at first”libral hippy” church and changed it. In order to raise Montt up in the ministry,they had to disgard many of there original teachings of Jim Dirkin and others and cast away (12 0r more) members that were ahead of him in line to possitions in the church(including myself). They were so crule as to even send missionaries away.Even after a meeting and great prayer, and since many called out fowl,I was sent to a mission that didn’t even exist anymore back then.And now Im just finding out about this is so horrible I almost had to end my life.Having to second guess all the incounters now that I had working next to Montt and all the memories of so long ago. Some had commited suiside but I had’nt known why untill now.To have me work to help people and have it be a trick so a Canadian Nickel mine can take the land by slaughtering people is so evil its a hard pill to swallow. My church is hiding this from the other members and many don’t still know. Victums of Montt are found throughout the world now thanks to the church support of a man I once told to his face,Stop acting like a Jimmy Swaggart-Jim and Tammy Baker charlotan and live for the love of Jesus. I knew and said he was a fake preacher and feel his testimony would fall apart if he saw me enter the court room. I wish I could find the rest of the witnesses because I truly beleave we have evidance that will help convict him.I’m just not sure what it is.If anyone can help direct me,please contact me.M.L.Zullo/at yahoo my email is mannthing49.Thank you. Please if you beleave in God or anything,Pray for this and me.I cannot even express the depth of the hurt I feel and how minor it must be in consideration of the pain the church,theCIA,and Montt did to my native brothers there that I sought so much to help. Often I am in tears. If someone can,please HELP!

This trial is no longer active

The Rios Montt trial monitoring site has closed and is no longer being updated. Archives of the proceedings will remain online. Developments related to the possible resumption of the process will now be carried on our Guatemala Trials pages.